TCU
23-10
Arkansas
22-15
TCU Bests Arkansas to Advance to WNIT Quarterfinals
3/28/2019 10:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball
AYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Senior Amy Okonkwo scored 10 of her career-high 36 points in the final 1:04 as the TCU women's basketball team defeated Arkansas in a back-and-forth nail-biter, 82-78, at Bud Walton Arena on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the WNIT for the second consecutive season.
Okonkwo became the first Big 12 player to score at least 36 points and grab 14 or more rebounds in either an NCAA or WNIT game since at least 1999-2000. Her 36 points also tie for the fourth-most in a single-game by a TCU player and stands as the highest total ever in a postseason game by any Horned Frog (male or female).
The Horned Frogs (23-10) will return home to host Cincinnati in the WNIT quarterfinals at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Schollmaier Arena.
Three other Frogs joined Okonkwo in double-figures in scoring as Lauren Heard and Adeola Akomolafe each had 12 points and Jayde Woods had 10.
TCU finished a season-best 23-of-25 from the free-throw line, including a perfect 8-for-8 from the line in the final 46 seconds of play.
The Rundown
TCU got off to a cold start in the opening minutes, missing its first four shots of the contest before Okonkwo hit a layup at the 5:55 mark to break the seal.
The Frogs promptly made their next seven shots to move within two at 20-18 as the game reached its first media timeout at the 2-minute mark. The Razorbacks answered with a 5-0 run to end the frame though, putting TCU down by seven, 25-18, at the completion of the first quarter.
TCU moved back within two early in the second quarter, but the Razorbacks continued to hit from deep with back-to-back three balls to force a Horned Frogs timeout at the 5:56 mark with the scoreboard reading 36-28 in favor of the home team.
The Horned frogs continued to fight, eventually getting its deficit back to three at 40-37 on a big Kianna Ray 3-pointer with 2:21 remaining in the half. Arkansas would score four of the final six points of the quarter to take a 44-39 lead into the break.
With Jordan Moore in early foul trouble, Okonkwo shouldered the offensive load with 15 points in the first half. Akomolafe also hit double-digits with 10 first-half points for the Frogs.
TCU came out of the locker room ready to play in the second half, scoring five quick points, capped by an Okonkwo three, to tie the game at 44-44.
Arkansas answered with a 5-0 run of its own to regain the lead but TCU didn't let it balloon as it trailed by no more than eight the rest of the quarter. The Frogs would end the frame on a high note, scoring the final five points to move within two, 58-56, heading into the final 10 minutes.
The Razorbacks got a fast bucket to open the scoring in the fourth quarter, but it was at that point at the Frogs came roaring back. Okonkwo hit a straight-away 3-pointer to spark a 7-0 TCU run that also featured baskets by Heard and Ray as it took its first lead of the game.
WIth TCU up 63-60, Arkansas called a timeout to halt the Horned Frogs' momentum and it worked. The Razorbacks scored the next six points to regain the advantage before a Moore lay-in stopped the run and made it a one-point game at 66-65.
Just moments later, Woods hit a clutch 3-pointer that sparked TCU's biggest run of the night, a 10-0 outburst that also included a layup by Akomolafe and five consecutive points by Okonkwo.
An Arkansas jumper ended that stretch and made it a 75-70 game with 38 seconds remaining but the Horned Frogs sealed the victory at the charity stripe, hitting all seven of its free throws the rest of the way to leave Fayetteville with a huge road win.
Stat of the Day
36 - TCU senior Amy Okonkwo scored a career-high 36 points on 10-of-21 shooting, including a near-perfect 12-of-13 from the free-throw line. She poured in 10 points in the final 1:04 of the fourth quarter to help the Frogs clinch their 23rd win of the season and advance to the WNIT quarterfinals for the second consecutive season.
Quotes of the Day
TCU Head Coach Raegan Pebley
"I really believe that this was an 8-9 NCAA Tournament game what everybody saw today. It was absolutely an NCAA Tournament environment, so great job by the Arkansas fans and the committee that created that environment. I'm really proud of our team, proud of the Big 12. Our team has worked so hard. We really stress that you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to your training. Had we not trained hard all year we would not have been ready to handle this situation. The crowd, coming back from being down, obviously Arkansas shooting the ball so well, Jordan Moore being in foul trouble. Our training came from preseason, from practice, from competing in the Big 12, playing in arenas like our own Schollmaier Arena, at Baylor, at Iowa State. The Big 12 sets you up for success in atmospheres like this. I am just really, really proud of our team. Arkansas had a great run at the end of the year and we are humbled to get out of this town with a win."
TCU Women's Basketball Postgame Notes
March 28, 2019 – Fayetteville, Ark. (Bud Walton Arena)
Attendance: 5,287
TCU (23-10) -- 82
Arkansas (22-15) -- 78
TEAM NOTES
* The Horned Frogs recorded their 23rd win of the season, marking the seventh time in program history that the Frogs have reached that mark.
* After winning 23 games a year ago, the Frogs have reached that mark in back-to-back seasons for just the third time in school history and first time since the 2003-04 and 2004-05 campaigns.
* TCU is in the midst of its seventh WNIT appearance and fifth in the last six seasons. TCU advanced all the way to the semifinals of the WNIT last season.
* TCU improves to 12-6 all-time in the WNIT, including a 4-5 record on the road.
* TCU is now 4-20 all-time against Arkansas and has won three of the last four meetings between the two schools.
* The win is TCU's first in Fayetteville, where it was previously 0-13 heading into Thursday's game.
* It was the Horned Frogs' first meeting with the Razorbacks since Dec. 6, 2003 in Fort Worth when TCU won 67-62 in overtime.
* The Horned Frogs started with a lineup of Lauren Heard, Kianna Ray, Amy Okonkwo, Jayde Woods, and Jordan Moore for the ninth time this season and are now 7-2 with this starting lineup.
* The Horned Frogs shot a season-best 90.0 percent from the free-throw line, making 23-of-25 from the charity stripe.
* It marked TCU's first time shooting 90 percent from the free-throw line since it went 13-of-14 against Oklahoma on Jan 27, 2018.
* The win was the 250th of TCU head coach Raegan Pebley's head coaching career.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Adeola Akomolafe
* Finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
* Scored in double-digits for the third time this season and sixth time in her career.
* Had 10 points and five rebounds in the first half.
Lauren Heard
* Finished with 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
* Was a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.
* Scored in double-digits for the eighth time this season and 14th time in her career.
Jordan Moore
* Played in the 131st game of her career, moving her past Helena Sverrisdottir (2007-11), Moneka Knight (2004-08), and Ebony Shaw (2000-04) for the second-most games played in school history.
* Increased her season rebound total to 274, which ties for the fifth-highest rebound total in school history.
* Moore has recorded at least six rebounds in 27 of TCU's 33 games this season.
* Moore's three field goals give her 202 total field goals this season, making her just the third player in TCU history to make 200 or more shots in a season. She joins TCU Hall of Famers Sandora Irvin and Adrianne Ross.
Amy Okonkwo
* Scored a career-high 36 points on 10-of-21 shooting, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range and 12-of-13 from the free-throw line.
* Also added 14 rebounds to record her sixth double-double of the season and 11th of her career.
* Is the first Big 12 player to record at least 36 points and 14 rebounds in either an NCAA or a WNIT game since at least 1999-2000.
* Her 36 points tie for the fourth-most in a single-game in TCU history.
* It also stands as the highest points total ever in a postseason game by any TCU basketball player (male or female).
* Scored 10 of her points over the final 1:04 of the game, including going a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line during that stretch.
* Also added two steals and an assist.
* Had 15 points and seven rebounds at halftime.
Jayde Woods
* Scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds.
* Scored in double-digits for the sixth time this season and 10th time in her career.
